Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-02-18

CALIFORNIA.
Greatest Commonwealth
in the Union.
THE STATES CHARACTERISTICS


THE STATES CHARACTERISTIC
Some of the Respects in Which it
Several Sections Differ
Each From the Other.
When in lS49 and the earliest year.
of the fifties few Of the first adventur
Gus argonauts wandered back to tn,
Estates" and told Of the glories, at
fractions and riches of the new Dora
do, all minds were agog with the bright,
colored pictures. The writer remembers
in the last years of the fifties hearing
such returned gold seeker-apd he wal
a good racontear-talking in glowing
terms of California. The question was
put "Why did you not stay there?"
His answer was prompt and satisfac.
tory:
s'My family is here in the East. was
separated from them for ten years, and
do not care to be so any longer. They
are more to me than even fine scenery,
a glorious climate, and the opportunity
to make money"
To the query, "Why not take them
there with your" came the res ponse as
ready and as conclusive as the other
was. It simply pointed out the lack Of
schools, of feminine companionship, and
other drawbacks incident to frontier life.
@'No." said he, II prefer to live in the
East, but for all that my enthusiasm for
California is genuine, and my descrip.
tions are all correct"
SLOW BEGINNINGs.
Thus it happened that all but the most
daring, energetic and adventurous hesi-
tated to leave their old homes, with all
their refining influences. for life in the
wilds of the Golden West. California
was far, very far away, and the journey
at the best was long. tedious and ex
peusive. Besides these considerations
there was the further impression that
mining was, and was to be, the one pay.
ing industry of all the territory in the
recently acquired lands. This was never
looked upon as promising in respect to
permanence. Nearly all minds con.
sidered mine like rapidly burning
fire. There 10 much warmth, splendor
and attraction in it for the time being,
but it will burn out, and then there will
be nothing left but heap of cold, COM
fortless and useless ashes. It is desir.
able while it lasts, but it will not las,
long. The less glowing, but more per
4manent industries of agriculture are
looked upon as the best in the long run.
AGRICULTURAL PURSUITS.
Ia the earlier sixties California, with
her millions of broad acres and sparse
population, suffered from bread famine.
Cargoes of -four were sent out from New
York to relieve the distress, which was
really severe. But shortly after this
several of the gold seekers turned
their attention to farming. It only
needed to make the experiment, and
it was at once demonstrated that Cali.
sfornia is as rich in her agricultural re.
sources as she was in her mineral depos-
its, even in her palmiest days of mining
excitement. 1t being made apparent
that the cereals and all ieguminous vege-
tables would flourish in the State, expert.
,znents were begun in tree planting. The
impression had been received from the
long, dry summers that vegetation could
never be made much of on the plains,
which looked as dry and barren Us a
desert at the very season when those &C.
to the e ,st look for the great.
est verdure and luxuriance of growth.
But, strange to say, the trees grew and
in due time bore fruit. Moreover, the
fruit was Of q prodigality of growth
and richness of favor that soon obliter.
ated the old impression of prejudice by
. deeper and more permanent one, be-
gotten of sober, sound thought, which
made all beholders overhaul their views
and correct their calculations as to the
soil aud climate OF California.
MORE FABLES.
When the stories of California vege.
tables and fruits were told at Eastern
s4iresides they were generally looked
upon as the fables of travelled people
sfrom wild lands. which have always
heen regarded as having spice of
Nun chausenism about them nee the
days of Marco Polo and the early navi
gators whose yarns Hacklyt delighted
to wind up in permanent shape.
At home when these marvellous
products of the soil were first seen
newspaper writers chronicled the prodi
,gies with graphic pens. These sketches
were copied at the East, eagerly, if no
with much credence. Thus began the
ERA OF ADVERTISING,
The local papers all over the State pu
on record all that came within thei
view. The writers knew themselves t
be chronicling truths in the most prosai,
language the subjec. would admit of
Those who read these sketches at dis
tance laughed at them as the neates
bits of realistic fiction in the history O
literature. Large yields of cereals, i'm
.mense vegetables, fruits of marvelou
development--the California newspape
fellows had seen them with eyes o
flesh, and had tried to describe then
with conscientious regard to correct
mess OF detail, but the eastern reade
looked upon these stories as the vapor
.ings Of madman whose imagination
was
"As foul as vulcan's stithy."
In spite of this lack of confidence o.
the part of the fastener, the way wa
being paved to make the State known t.
the world. California was still a Ion
Journey from the East. 1t took month
of hard travel, and cost purse full o
shekels to get here. But these fabulou
stories-as they seemed-caused th
name California to become househol,
word. Then came the
TRANsCoNTINENTAL RAILWAY.
With the first scream of the locomotive
as this emblem of progressive civiliza
tion saluted the Golden West from tn
summit of the Sierras. California cease
to be terra incognita to those VIII,
dwelt beyond the Rocky mountains. Il
small numbers they came at first, bu